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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25992688">How to See The Stars</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpossibleClair/pseuds/ImpossibleClair'>ImpossibleClair</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tyzula 'How To' [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cuddles, F/F, Mai has emotional support knives, Sharing a Bed, Sickfic, Spooning, azula caught a cold and now she's being dramatic, azula is a little spoon fight me, azula is soft for ty lee and ty lee only, but also she is genuinely suffering, takes place after 2x08 The Chase, the inherent romanticism of tea, they're both gay and bad at emotions, ty lee cares A Lot, yes there are cuddles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 02:34:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,354</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25992688</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImpossibleClair/pseuds/ImpossibleClair</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Is it a dishonour to take a sick day? Azula certainly seems to think so. But she feels like dying, so bed-rest it is.</p>
<p>A little look at the dramatics of an ill fire princess, and the wholesome care of her acrobat friend.<br/>(A sequel to my previous Tyzula fic, but reasonably self-contained)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Azula/Ty Lee (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Tyzula 'How To' [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1886527</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>196</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>How to See The Stars</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Azula was two things: a princess of a wealthy nation, and the youngest sibling. She had never been left wanting for material possessions or creature comforts, and despite her father’s general disinterest in her emotional wellbeing, she had grown up with the utmost attention paid to her physical welfare.</p>
<p>It was therefore an unusual – and completely unwelcome – experience to be indisposed without so much as a maidservant at her beck and call.</p>
<p>Azula rolled over in bed yet again, trying to get comfortable. She ached from head to toe, and she wasn’t sure if it was just the stupid cold she’d caught from Ty Lee, or the fact she hadn’t slept properly in three days but had insisted on continuing their pursuit of the Avatar. It had taken falling from the saddle of her mongoose lizard to convince her that maybe, just maybe, she needed to take a few days of rest.</p>
<p>She could hear the restless lizards in the next section of the train tank, and the roaring of the engine, and the thunder of the wheels. Everything was so <em>loud</em>, and her head was so <em>sore</em>. She coughed, and felt the sound rattle all the way from her chest into her skull, clanging like a warning bell.</p>
<p>Moaning, she pulled the blankets over her head and wished for death.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>‘She does have a soft side, you know.’</p>
<p>Mai snorted, spinning another knife into the wall above Ty Lee’s bunk.</p>
<p>‘It’s true!’ Ty Lee insisted, pulling out the knife and tossing it back to Mai. ‘It’s just… hard to see. You have to be looking for it in a special way.’</p>
<p>Mai spun a blade on the tip of her finger, lying back on the narrow mattress of her bunk. The room she shared with Ty Lee on the tank train was small, but at least there was enough space to get a knife across. And they didn’t have to sleep on the floor, which was a plus.</p>
<p>‘Sure,’ she said.</p>
<p>‘It’s like looking at the stars,’ Ty Lee continued, not put off in the slightest by Mai’s disbelief. ‘You have to be not really looking. Or, looking out of the corner of your eye. That’s the only time you see it clearly.’</p>
<p>She sighed, and Mai remained silent. Perhaps it was true that Azula had been quieter, even kinder in the past week while she nursed Ty Lee back to health after the incident with the earthbenders, but Mai still thought the princess having a ‘soft side’ was a bit of a stretch.</p>
<p>Over the background noise of the train, a low, suffering moan drifted through to them.</p>
<p>‘We should probably check on her.’</p>
<p>‘Do we have to?’ Mai muttered, but she got up nonetheless, and followed Ty Lee out of the room.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>The soft <em>tappity-tap-tap</em> on her door was enough to make Azula wrap her arms around her aching head.</p>
<p>‘Come in,’ she grumbled.  </p>
<p>She heard the door open, and the quiet shuffle of footsteps. She peeked through her arms to see a kindly-smiling Ty Lee, holding a tray with a teapot and cups, and Mai lurking behind her, decidedly not smiling.</p>
<p>‘Hey Azula.’ Ty Lee spoke just above a whisper. ‘We thought we should check in and see how you were going.’</p>
<p>Azula sighed.</p>
<p>‘I am the heir apparent to the Fire Nation, and I’ve been laid low by a measly illness. My honour has never taken such a cruel blow.’</p>
<p>Mai and Ty Lee exchanged a look.</p>
<p>‘Will a knife help you feel better?’ Mai asked.</p>
<p>‘Only if you plan to grant me the sweet release of death.’</p>
<p>‘Not so much.’ Mai looked to Ty Lee. ‘Have fun.’</p>
<p>She left, closing the door behind her.</p>
<p>Ty Lee put the tray down on the bedside table.</p>
<p>‘Tell me, Ty Lee,’ Azula drawled. ‘If I asked you to kill me, would you do it? Would you spare me from this state of disgrace?’</p>
<p>Ty Lee rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.</p>
<p>‘No, Azula. But I will pour you a cup of tea.’</p>
<p>Azula heaved a sigh.</p>
<p>‘I guess that will have to do, then.’</p>
<p>She struggled into a sitting position and flicked her hand, lighting a couple of lamps while Ty Lee poured the tea. She accepted the cup held out to her with just a hint of a smile. She took a deep breath of the steam curling from the cup.</p>
<p>‘Peppermint?’ she guessed.</p>
<p>‘Yep!’</p>
<p>‘Your favourite.’</p>
<p>Ty Lee blushed.</p>
<p>‘You remembered.’</p>
<p>‘Of course. I have an excellent memory,’ Azula said.</p>
<p><em>And I made sure it was part of our inventory before we left, because I know you love it</em>, she didn’t say.</p>
<p>Ty Lee perched herself comfortably on the edge of the bed.</p>
<p>‘How the tables turn, huh?’ she said. ‘My turn to take care of you now.’</p>
<p>Azula’s eyes narrowed.</p>
<p>‘You know this is technically your fault, right?’ she said. ‘You sneezed in my face.’</p>
<p>To her surprise, Ty Lee laughed.</p>
<p>‘Gee Azula, that’s a funny way of saying “Wow Ty Lee, thanks for taking care of me, you’re the best!”’</p>
<p>Azula glowered into her teacup.</p>
<p>‘I’m the princess. People are supposed to take care of me.’</p>
<p>Ty Lee’s smile faded. She put a hand on Azula’s knee.</p>
<p>‘You know, sometimes people do things for others just because they care. Not because that person is a princess and they’re obliged to.’</p>
<p>Tears sprang to Azula’s eyes, and she blinked them back. Her cheeks were warm, but she blamed the fever.</p>
<p>‘I think you’re the only person who would do such a thing, Ty Lee.’</p>
<p>The hand on her knee squeezed, but she refused to look up. She could see the murky reflection of her face in her tea; pale and melancholy, her hair in disarray. Not a princess. Just a mess of a girl letting her feelings get the better of her.</p>
<p>She couldn’t let this happen.</p>
<p>‘This is pathetic,’ she huffed, putting her tea aside. ‘Illness is making me sentimental. I need to sleep it off.’</p>
<p>Ty Lee withdrew her hand. She did a decent job of keeping the sound of disappointment out of her voice.</p>
<p>‘Oh. Sure.’</p>
<p>She stood as Azula waved out the lamps and lay down. She debated taking the tray with her, but what if Azula wanted the tea later? Better to leave it, just in case.</p>
<p>Her hand had only just closed on the doorknob when Azula spoke.</p>
<p>‘Lee.’</p>
<p>The tiny thrill of hearing Azula’s nickname for her was enough to make her turn slightly, looking back through the corner of her eye. It was dark, but she could make out the shape of Azula’s pale face, of her golden, pleading eyes.</p>
<p>‘Yes?’</p>
<p>‘It’s… it’s a big bed…’</p>
<p>Ty Lee could hear the struggle in her voice. The effort it took her to get the words out had nothing to do with her sore throat, and Ty Lee knew it. Deep sympathy ached in her chest, and something that felt like gratitude, but… better.</p>
<p>Azula rolled over as Ty Lee toed off her shoes and slid under the blankets. She shuffled close, and without bothering to ask first, she wrapped an arm around Azula’s waist and curled around her from behind, effectively transforming the princess of the Fire Nation into a little spoon. She heard a sigh, but whether it was exasperated or relieved, she couldn’t tell.</p>
<p>Azula didn’t protest. She didn’t say a word. She coughed a few times, to cover how tight her breathing had become with the threat of tears, but otherwise she stayed silent. Words would ruin this. She didn’t even know what <em>this</em> was. She only knew that for the second time in a week, her mind was quiet, and she could feel her heart beating.</p>
<p>She couldn’t be sure she heard it right; she was spiralling into sleep at the time. But in the days that followed Azula would sit in the quiet moments and wonder if it had really happened, or if it was a product of her feverish mind.</p>
<p>A soft kiss against her temple, and a whisper of <em>‘I love you, Zula.’</em></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>A bit shorter than my previous one, but I didn't want it to get repetitive. I can always do another sick-Azula fic later on if you'd like more of this dynamic ^^ I certainly enjoyed writing it.<br/>Please let me know if you want more!</p>
<p>Don't forget to check out the first part of this series if you haven't yet for more Tyzula!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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